


Home for the Holidays

by shellygurumi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-03
Updated: 2014-01-03
Packaged: 2018-01-07 06:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1116612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shellygurumi/pseuds/shellygurumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Cas were high school sweethearts, but when they moved away to go to college, they decided against a long distance relationship and lost touch over the years. When they're both home at the same time 7 years later, a chance encounter brings them back together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Home for the Holidays

High school had been a pretty good time for Dean. He wasn’t the most popular kid in school and things weren’t always easy for him, but Dean had a core group of good friends, did fairly well in class and had a lot of fun along the way. When he graduated, just like most of his friends, he moved away to attend college. That was seven years ago. In the time since Dean left, he had graduated college and taken on a good job and was living a pleasant life. He came back home when he could, visiting his parents and Sam, and he was able to get enough time off work to spend the whole holiday season back at home.

He arrived in town a few days before Christmas. Sam was a senior in college now and had more time off during the semester break. Being home almost a week before Dean, Sam had been sent on errand runs for their parents every other day. When Dean got home, Sam gave him a hug, asked how work was going and then immediately said, “Next time Mom or Dad needs something, you’re doing it.”

In the late afternoon the day before Christmas Eve, Dean and Sam were sitting around the kitchen table lazing about. Sam was playing on his computer while Dean read a book until Sam looked up and interrupted him.

“Oh, hey, I almost forgot... guess who I ran into in the grocery store the other day, before you got in?”

Dean set his book down, “Who? One of your exes?” He flashed a teasing smirk at Sam.

“No,” Sam gave him an unamused look. “One of yours. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to know or not.”

“What? Who?”

“Cas.”

“Cas?” Dean was taken aback. “Really?”

“Yeah, he’s home to visit his family for Christmas. I’m not sure how long he’s in town for.”

“Oh.” Dean and Cas had dated in high school, pretty much the whole time they were in school. They were basically considered high school sweethearts, but split up when they both moved away to college. They meant to keep in touch, but it just didn’t happen. He hadn’t seen Cas in years. The thought of him being so close now made Dean shift in his seat. “Did uh...”

“Hm?” Sam tipped his head when Dean didn’t finish the question. “Did he what?”

He wanted to find out if Cas had asked about him, but Dean stalled on how desperate that sounded. “Did he look good? How’s he doing?”

“Pretty well, it seemed. We didn’t get too much time to talk. He’s staying at his parents’ house, though.”

“Huh...”

“Yeah, so, just figured you should know.”

“Thanks,” Dean nodded, but didn’t really know what to say. When Sam went back to playing on his computer, Dean tried to keep reading his book. He couldn’t focus on the words, though, because he kept thinking about Cas.

There wasn’t any good reason why they fell out of contact, there was no reason why they broke up; distance was the only excuse. They had really been the perfect couple and, had they been straight or more conventional, people probably would have teased them about getting married one day. It shocked a lot of people when they broke up, but, in truth, Dean hadn’t ever really gotten over Cas. He compared everyone he dated after that to Cas and was never really happy with them.

Eventually, Dean closed his book with a sigh and stood up. “I’m going for a walk.”

“You know it’s like 20 degrees out there...” Sam said with a raised brow.

“Yeah, I have a coat,” was all Dean said before tugging said coat on, along with a scarf, and walked out the door. He didn’t have any direction in mind when he left the house, he just had to get out and get moving for a while. Dean wandered down the street, thinking back on good times with Cas. They were joined at the hip through freshman year, just best friends at first. Cas had been an awkward kid with a great sense of humor and took to Dean right away. Everyone joked that Dean was a bad influence on Cas, but Cas had been just as much of a bad influence, just in a less overt way, so Dean got all the blame. It never bothered Dean, though.

It wasn’t until halfway through their sophomore year that they started officially dating. There was an awkward confession between the two of them that they felt more than friendship and even then, it was another month or two before they kissed for the first time. Neither of them had dated seriously before that and they figured everything out together. Cas was his first kiss, the first person he made out with, the first time he shared a sloppy handjob with someone. They lost their virginity together the night of their senior prom (which neither of them attended).

They never talked about things like love or the future. It just was what it was. That’s why it was so easy, so to speak, when they went their separate ways. Now, as Dean walked through town, he wondered if maybe it hadn’t been so easy after all. Cas was Dean’s first love, all things considered, when Dean looked back on his life. His heart seized up on him at the thought of having no idea where Cas was in life now. Was he married? Did he fall in love with someone else along the way? Did he have kids? Was he happy? Did he ever think of Dean?

These were all things Dean would have the opportunity to ask, because before he realized it, his feet had led him straight to Cas’s house. He stood on the front step, the same step he’d been on when they shared their first kiss and their last kiss. They met each other on that step countless days and nights before getting into trouble. They ended fights and later made up there. It was where they said goodbye. Now, it would be where they would say hello.

Dean rang the bell.

A minute later, the door opened and there stood Cas. Seven years older than he was before, Cas was tall, muscular, he had the same soft, dark hair, though it was better managed now. He had the same dark blue eyes, though they had seen a lot more now. Age had sharpened his features and made him look more handsome than ever. Dean put on his best strong, cocky smile, his lazy demeanor, pretending like no time had passed at all since the last time they spoke.

“Hey Cas.” To his credit, Dean’s voice only cracked a tiny bit.

“Hello Dean.” There it was, the deep rumble of that familiar greeting. It transformed Dean’s expression from a carefully crafted mask to a genuine smile. At seeing Dean’s smile, Cas instantly smiled back. He stepped forward and closed the door behind him. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you, too,” Dean chuckled. He glanced down and shrugged awkwardly. “Sam said he ran into you at the store...”

“He did.” Cas nodded and shifted his weight. “He said you weren’t home yet. You got in yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Dean cleared his throat. What must Cas think? Knowing that he got in yesterday but didn’t come to visit now. “He-- Sammy didn’t mention it til tonight. You know, that he ran into you.”

“Oh.” A moment passed and Cas rubbed his arms. He was only wearing a long sleeved shirt and no coat. Dean had to resist the urge to warm him up.

“Are you busy right now? Am I interrupting anything?”

“No,” Cas shook his head. “Did you have anything planned?”

Dean laughed, more out of awkward nervousness than anything else. “Just, kind of... took a walk and ended up here. I mean, I hadn’t planned anything. Do you want to join me?” He thumbed back over his shoulder.

“Sure. Let me just get a coat...” Cas vanished into the house for a moment, then came back out all bundled up. Dean almost felt disappointed at the loss of opportunity to share warmth with Cas, then mentally kicked himself because he was assuming Cas was still single.

They walked in silence for the first block, both of them glancing at each other and smiling little smiles without actually managing to make conversation. It was a bit like their first date, when neither of them knew how to act. Eventually, Dean just laughed and shook his head.

“Okay, man, this is weird. Can we, like, sorta pretend for a minute that the last seven years didn’t happen and just, kinda, be like we used to be?”

Cas laughed as well, it was a nice sound and one Dean hadn’t realized how much he had missed. “We can, yeah. That would be preferable.”

“Good, ‘cause this whole awkward thing is just like....”

“Weird?”

“Yes.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“Until after New Year’s, then I have to get back. Work.” Dean shrugged. “You?”

“I’ve got about a week after New Year’s.” A beat of silence passed. “Did you end up getting an engineering job?”

“You know, I started college with that plan, but changed direction and ended up becoming an architect.”

“Really?” Cas smiled. “That’s great. Doing something artistic and creative suits you.”

Dean laughed and glanced away. “What about you? Are you Doctor Novak now?”

“Almost. I’ve got a year and a half left of med school, then I will be a pediatrician.”

“Yeah? Working with kids?” That warmed Dean’s heart in a way he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Mm-hmm. I feel like I can make the world a bit better with every child I heal. It makes me feel good.”

“That’s great, Cas.” Dean leaned over and bumped his shoulder into Cas’s. It knocked the other man off balance and made him laugh.

“Yeah, I still have a lot of work ahead of me and will be in debt forever.”

“Okay, true, but you’ll make it, and you’ll get hired no problem.”

“You’ve always had such faith in me, Dean.”

“You always deserved it.”

Cas tipped his head down and smiled.

“So, I gotta ask... Anyone special in your life these days?” Dean asked in a casual tone, but his heart was in his throat as he waited for the answer.

“No,” Cas shook his head. “With school and residency and work there just isn’t time.”

“Would there be? If you had the time, I mean.”

“You know... I tried a bit. I dated in undergrad, and one person in med school. Even when school and everything else didn’t get in the way, no one ever felt right.”

“Yeah, yeah I getcha.” Dean nodded.

“I find it hard to believe you had any trouble dating.” Cas gave him a wry smile.

“You’d be surprised. I mean... I could find people who were interested and all, and I tried, too. But I just never clicked with anyone. It always felt like we were just... going through the motions.”

“Why do you think that is?” There was something in Cas’s tone that said there was more to that question than he was letting on. He was waiting for an answer, the same one Dean wanted to ask Cas.

Giving in, Dean shrugged and looked down the road. “None of them were you.”

Cas grabbed Dean’s hand and pulled him to a stop. Dean turned back to Cas just in time for the other man to step forward and press a kiss to his lips. He didn’t think about it before returning the kiss, just melted into those familiar yet different lips. Dean wound an arm around Cas’s waist and pulled their bodies flush as Cas lifted his free hand to hold the side of Dean’s face.

They kissed for a long moment and a warm feeling spread through Dean’s stomach. His heart beat faster and he wouldn’t have broken the kiss, but for the fact that he couldn’t stop a smile that spread across his face. They pulled back slowly, laughing breathlessly and refusing to pull apart completely. Their foreheads were pressed together, nuzzling noses and arms around each other.

“I really missed you,” Dean said quietly, tightening his arm around Cas’s waist.

“I didn’t realize how much I missed you until now,” Cas brushed his lips against Dean’s again in a brief kiss. “This just feels right.”

“Right?!” Dean grinned. “They always say you can’t go back... that it’s never the same. But I kinda think, maybe you can...”

“I guess, maybe neither of us ever really let go,” Cas admitted, eyes cast down as he spoke, then lifted to meet Dean’s gaze.

“Hey Cas...” Dean smiled. “Got any plans for New Years?”

“I was just going to spend it with family, but we aren’t doing anything special...”

“Need someone to kiss at midnight?” Dean flashed a grin.

“You always were a good kisser,” Cas shrugged.

“Still am.”

“I may need some more proof of that.”

Dean laughed and pulled Cas in for another kiss. He made sure it was a good one.


End file.
